Latest on rimming?

Apr 9, 2002

I'm HIV+ and have been undetectable (<50 copies/ml) for about a year. I'm dating an HIV- guy who loves to rim me. I don't bleed or have hemorrhoids, but I'm still concerned that he might get it from me that way. I've been trying to convince him also to gargle with a mouthwash afterwards to reduce his risk. What is the latest info about the risk of getting HIV from rimming? Thanks so much for your time.

Response from Mr. Kull

It is unlikely that your partner would be at risk for HIV infection through insertive/giving anilingus (rimming, oral-anal contact).

A person putting their mouth on an HIV positive person's anus/rectum poses a very low-risk for HIV infection. There is only one published case of transmission occurring oral-anal contact (possibly through contact with blood). HIV is difficult to isolate in feces, and any HIV present in feces is probably uninfectious or at harmless concentrations.

Transmission is only likely to occur if your partner's mouth comes into contact with blood in your rectum; your partner having sores in his mouth might increase the risk of transmission if he come into contact with blood in your rectum.

For these reasons, it is not advisable that your partner rim you after anal sex, or any other activity that might increase the odds of rectal bleeding. He can practically eliminate the negligible risk by using a barrier (dental dam, condom cut into a square, plastic wrap).

A person rimming another without a barrier is at greater risk for infection with hepatitis A virus, parasites, and bacteria. Getting a hepatitis A vaccine is a good idea if for sexually active people (especially for men who have sex with men) or in a region where hepatitis A is prevalent (B vaccines are important for additional reasons).

This forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not rendering medical, mental health, legal or other professional advice or services. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, mental health, legal or other problem that requires advice, consult your own caregiver, attorney or other qualified professional.

Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material.

The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 750 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.